Important Facts for Health Insurance Coverage

Definition

Numerator

Number of persons in the survey sample who lacked health insurance coverage.

Denominator

Total number of persons in the survey sample.

Data Interpretation Issues

Estimates of the uninsured in Utah are currently calculated using a set of state-added questions included on the Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Formerly these questions were asked on two state-based surveys - the Utah Healthcare Access Survey (UHAS) and the Utah Health Status Survey (HSS).
Since 2011 the BRFSS has included both landline and cell phone telephone interviews as well as an updated weighting methodology. For more information, please see: [https://ibis.health.utah.gov/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf].
Compared with state surveys in Utah, the U.S. Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Community Survey (ACS) have historically yielded higher estimates of the Utah population with no health insurance coverage. Reasons may include difference in question wording, data weighting, and data imputation for missing values. For a thorough discussion of why state health insurance estimates differ from those produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, please refer to the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) publication 'Comparing Federal Government Surveys that Count the Uninsured: 2016' at [http://www.shadac.org/publications/comparing-federal-government-surveys-count-uninsured-2016].

Why Is This Important?

Most people need medical care at some time in their lives. Medical care is often quite expensive and is becoming more expensive. Health insurance covers all or some costs of care and protects people from very high expenses.
Persons with health insurance are more likely than persons without health insurance to have a regular source of primary health care and to have routine preventive care. Persons without coverage often have delays seeking needed care and find services difficult to afford.

Healthy People Objective AHS-1.1:

How Are We Doing?

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

In 2017, the ACS estimate for uninsured Utahns was 9.2% while the national estimate was 8.7%. The Utah BRFSS data is almost identical to the ACS Utah uninsured rate at 9.8% in 2017. The slight variation of the estimate of the uninsured from the BRFSS are because the questions used to estimate insurance coverage are considered "state-added" questions and are specific to Utah.

What Is Being Done?

The Utah Department of Health administers programs to improve access to care, such as Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Primary Care Network (PCN), and Utah's Premium Partnership for Health Insurance (UPP). The Department also works to improve the "safety net" for persons who lack health insurance. This is done through primary care grants to rural areas and clinics for children with disabilities. Local health departments provide preventive services such as immunizations and screenings at low or no cost to eligible persons who cannot afford them.

Health Program Information

Concerns about rising health care costs and the affordability of health care insurance led to enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. In Utah, citizens can sign up for health insurance through the federal exchange or through Utah's exchange, Avenue H, if they work for a participating small business.

Utah DOH

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